058 - Ask Her - Reclaiming Women's Voices from Patriarchal Narratives

058 - Ask Her - Reclaiming Women's Voices from Patriarchal Narratives

Talk to us, Shero! Talk to us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2272838/fan_mail/new] In this raw and deeply personal episode of the Shero Café Podcast, Debbie and Deborah talk about patriarchy, self-trust, silence, power, and what happens when women are taught to abandon themselves to keep others comfortable. Through personal stories, emotional reflection, and honest conversation, they explore: * how girls are taught to stay agreeable * why so many women silence themselves * the emotional cost of people-pleasing * what community and self-trust can heal * how small moments of awareness create lasting change This conversation moves through politics, culture, family systems, trauma, parenting, and personal growth — all centered around one powerful question: What happens when women begin listening to themselves instead of only outside voices? This episode is an invitation to notice the patterns, pause long enough to question them, and begin building self-trust one small moment at a time. Chapter Markers / Timestamps 00:00 – Why Women Are Taught to Stay Small  02:20 – Growing Up Responsible for Men’s Feelings  04:15 – Personal Stories of Silence and Harm  06:15 – Respectability, Religion, and Patriarchy  09:00 – Learning to Advocate for Yourself  12:45 – The Emotional Cost of Staying Quiet  14:00 – Indoctrination Starts Early  15:20 – How Society Shapes Gender Roles  18:00 – Voting Against Our Own Interests  20:00 – Listening to Outside Voices Instead of Yourself  22:00 – Power, Politics, and Protection Systems  25:00 – Social Media, Predators, and Protecting Children  30:00 – Why Self-Trust Changes Everything  32:00 – Teaching Children Boundaries and Self-Respect  35:00 – When Family Protects the Wrong People  38:00 – The Healing Power of Community  41:00 – Truth-Telling, Honesty, and Respect  44:00 – Why Awareness Matters  49:00 – How Self-Trust Is Actually Built  52:00 – Awareness Is Only Step One  54:00 – The Small Language Shifts That Matter  58:00 – Fighting for Women’s Voices  1:00:00 – One Small Change at a Time  1:02:00 – Trusting Yourself Through Life’s Challenges  1:04:00 – Final Reflections and Closing Thoughts Thank you so much for the likes, love, and comments you leave. Not only does it mean the world to us, it helps other women who need to hear it be able to find it. #womenempoweringwomen #youmatter #makeadifference ---CONNECT with Shero Cafe--- Subscribe: www.SheroCafe.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shero.cafe.podcast/ Email: thesherocafe@gmail.com ---CONNECT with Deborah Edwards--- Let's Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deborah.edwards.372 [https://www.facebook.com/deborah.edwards.372] Self Care Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/624202641785785 [https://www.facebook.com/groups/624202641785785] Website: https://gratefulom.life/ [ https://gratefulom.life/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahedwards-selfcarecoach/ ---CONNECT with Debbie Pearson--- Website: https://www.debbiepearson.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DebbiePearsonCoaching Substack:  https://debpearsonwriter.substack.com Email: deb@debbiepearson.com

057 - You’re Doing Everything Right… but Something Still Feels Off

Talk to us, Shero! Talk to us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2272838/fan_mail/new] You’re doing everything right. You’re showing up. Taking care of yourself. Keeping things moving in your work and your life. And still… something feels off. That feeling can be hard to explain. It doesn’t make sense on the surface. You’re doing what you’re “supposed” to do, so why doesn’t it feel better? In this episode, we gently look at what might be happening underneath. Because sometimes it’s not about doing more.  It’s not about adding more self-care.  It’s about noticing where your energy is quietly leaking. We talk about the difference between being depleted and being overextended. How you can be giving, doing, and holding a lot… without enough support or space to steady yourself. You’ll hear real-life examples of what this can look like:  Saying yes when your body is saying no.  Avoiding conversations that matter.  Overthinking decisions after you’ve already made them.  Trying to hold it all together for everyone else. These aren’t signs that something is wrong with you. They’re signals. Small moments where your body is asking you to notice, pause, and choose differently. We also explore the role of boundaries—not as something harsh, but as something steady. Something that helps you stay connected to yourself while still caring for others. This isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about learning to listen in a new way.  To notice what feels tight or heavy.  To give yourself one small moment of choice. Because when something feels off, it usually means something deeper is asking for your attention. And that’s not a problem. It’s a place to begin. 0:00  Welcome And The “Something’s Off” Feeling 1:48  Self-Care Without Capacity Fails 3:59  The Oil Leak Analogy For Burnout 6:13  Real-World Signs Of Overextension 8:42  Saying No And Listening To Your Body 13:17  Self-Care Versus Self-Love Choices 15:27  When Giving Money Feels Like Peace 19:04  Restrictive Versus Expansive Energy Clues 23:39  Small Steps Plus Coaching And Community 26:45  You’re Not Weak For Needing Support Thank you so much for the likes, love, and comments you leave. Not only does it mean the world to us, it helps other women who need to hear it be able to find it. #womenempoweringwomen #youmatter #makeadifference ---CONNECT with Shero Cafe--- Subscribe: www.SheroCafe.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shero.cafe.podcast/ Email: thesherocafe@gmail.com ---CONNECT with Deborah Edwards--- Let's Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deborah.edwards.372 [https://www.facebook.com/deborah.edwards.372] Self Care Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/624202641785785 [https://www.facebook.com/groups/624202641785785] Website: https://gratefulom.life/ [ https://gratefulom.life/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahedwards-selfcarecoach/ ---CONNECT with Debbie Pearson--- Website: https://www.debbiepearson.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DebbiePearsonCoaching Substack:  https://debpearsonwriter.substack.com Email: deb@debbiepearson.com

055 - Emerging Truth: What I Can No Longer Pretend Not to Know

Talk to us, Shero! Talk to us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2272838/fan_mail/new] You know that quiet feeling… something isn’t right… even when everything looks fine on the outside? We sit with that. Not to fix it. Not to rush past it. But to name it.  Because more often than not, you already know.  You just haven’t let yourself fully say it. We talk about the places this shows up—  relationships that look good but feel heavy,  work that checks the boxes but drains your peace,  and those moments where you keep saying yes… while something in you is saying no. And then there’s the body. The tight chest.  The clenched jaw.  The low hum of anxiety that never fully goes away. That’s not random. That’s your body holding the truth you haven’t spoken yet. We also talk about why this is so hard. Because it’s not just about knowing.  It’s about what it might cost to admit it. Belonging.  Comfort.  Familiarity. Sometimes it feels easier to stay where you are… even when you know it’s not right. But there’s a cost to that too. You start to lose trust in yourself.  You second guess.  You override what you feel. So we slow it down. We talk about creating space—just enough to hear yourself again.  And from there, making small, honest choices. Sometimes that looks like a boundary.  Sometimes it’s a simple truth spoken out loud.  Sometimes it’s just admitting… this doesn’t feel right anymore. Nothing dramatic - just honest. Because self-care isn’t always comfort.  And self-love isn’t always soft. Sometimes it’s telling yourself the truth… and being willing to listen. #selftrust  #selfawareness  #emotionalgrowth  #selfcare  #selflove  #innerwork  #boundaries  #personalgrowth  #mindsetshift  #emotionalintelligence  #healing  #authenticity Thank you so much for the likes, love, and comments you leave. Not only does it mean the world to us, it helps other women who need to hear it be able to find it. #womenempoweringwomen #youmatter #makeadifference ---CONNECT with Shero Cafe--- Subscribe: www.SheroCafe.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shero.cafe.podcast/ Email: thesherocafe@gmail.com ---CONNECT with Deborah Edwards--- Let's Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deborah.edwards.372 [https://www.facebook.com/deborah.edwards.372] Self Care Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/624202641785785 [https://www.facebook.com/groups/624202641785785] Website: https://gratefulom.life/ [ https://gratefulom.life/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahedwards-selfcarecoach/ ---CONNECT with Debbie Pearson--- Website: https://www.debbiepearson.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DebbiePearsonCoaching Substack:  https://debpearsonwriter.substack.com Email: deb@debbiepearson.com

054 - The Pause That Changes Everything

Talk to us, Shero! Talk to us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2272838/fan_mail/new] The most life-changing part of emotional regulation is not a big breakthrough. It is the microscopic moment most people miss — the pause between what happens and how you respond. When you learn to notice that sliver of time, you stop riding the reaction roller coaster and start making real choices instead of saying something you regret, shutting down, or handing your power to someone else’s mood. In this episode we share what that pause looks like in real life, including a surprisingly intense situation that triggered overthinking and a familiar freeze response. We explore why the same situation can trigger one person but not another, and how capacity, nervous system safety, and practice change what happens in that moment. You will also hear simple body signals to watch for and one grounding question that can shift everything: What do I need right now? Thank you so much for the likes, love, and comments you leave. Not only does it mean the world to us, it helps other women who need to hear it be able to find it. #womenempoweringwomen #youmatter #makeadifference ---CONNECT with Shero Cafe--- Subscribe: www.SheroCafe.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shero.cafe.podcast/ Email: thesherocafe@gmail.com ---CONNECT with Deborah Edwards--- Let's Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deborah.edwards.372 [https://www.facebook.com/deborah.edwards.372] Self Care Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/624202641785785 [https://www.facebook.com/groups/624202641785785] Website: https://gratefulom.life/ [ https://gratefulom.life/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahedwards-selfcarecoach/ ---CONNECT with Debbie Pearson--- Website: https://www.debbiepearson.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DebbiePearsonCoaching Substack:  https://debpearsonwriter.substack.com Email: deb@debbiepearson.com

053 - Taking Back Your Power

Talk to us, Shero! Talk to us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2272838/fan_mail/new] Glamour can feel like safety—until it isn’t. Using the movie Blink Twice as our lens, we explore how charm, access, and curated beauty can quietly become control. We unpack grooming, normalization, and the intoxicating pull of proximity to power—and why belonging so often outranks intuition. We share personal stories of staying silent to keep harmony and of challenging authority at a cost. Like the film’s paradise, systems ask for small surrenders until your voice fades. We talk about gaslighting, self-doubt, and the fear of exile that keeps us nodding along—then pivot to rebuilding self-trust through mindful pauses, body-based yes/no checks, and boundaries practiced before they’re needed. Taking your power back isn’t aggression—it’s clarity. It might mean leaving a room, declining an invitation, or choosing spaces that can hold your truth. If you're will, we'd love to hear how have you experienced taking your power back? Thank you so much for the likes, love, and comments you leave. Not only does it mean the world to us, it helps other women who need to hear it be able to find it. #womenempoweringwomen #youmatter #makeadifference ---CONNECT with Shero Cafe--- Subscribe: www.SheroCafe.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shero.cafe.podcast/ Email: thesherocafe@gmail.com ---CONNECT with Deborah Edwards--- Let's Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deborah.edwards.372 [https://www.facebook.com/deborah.edwards.372] Self Care Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/624202641785785 [https://www.facebook.com/groups/624202641785785] Website: https://gratefulom.life/ [ https://gratefulom.life/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahedwards-selfcarecoach/ ---CONNECT with Debbie Pearson--- Website: https://www.debbiepearson.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DebbiePearsonCoaching Substack:  https://debpearsonwriter.substack.com Email: deb@debbiepearson.com